6 Most Affordable New Cars for the Average American

If you’re buying a new car, chances are you want the win-win of finding a reliable vehicle that goes easy on your budget. (As a basic financing guideline pro tip, remember that car expenses should not exceed more than 10% of your monthly income.)

To help you shop, GOBankingRates reviewed various affordability reports and rankings vetted by leading industry auto outlets and pulled six vehicles all priced under $25,000 for your consideration. Ranked from least to most expensive, see which six new cars are the most affordable for the average American.

• Starting price: $18,015

Taking first place in this roundup is the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage, which Car and Driver quoted at a starting price of $18,015. The Mirage also landed in second place in Kelley Blue Book’s ranking of the cheapest new cars of 2024-2025.

Affordability aside, the Mitsubishi Mirage is available to shop both as a hatchback and sedan and boasts an excellent fuel economy. And while the biggest critique is that the Mirage is a bit slower than other vehicles, it has been described as ideal for city residents thanks to the vehicle’s size and efficiency.

• Starting price: $21,145

The 2024 Kia Forte took third place in KBB’s cheapest new cars ranking for this year. 

Like the Mitsubishi Mirage, the Kia Forte may not inspire instant envy from other drivers but it’s a great value for the price especially when it comes to its interior. There’s plenty of cabin room inside the Kia Forte and it looks stylish, too.

• Starting price: $21,725

There’s a lot of pros in favor of shopping for the Nissan Sentra, including a spacious cabin, comfortable seating, solid fuel economy and a bevy of safety features. 

What we personally enjoy is that the Nissan Sentra has a reasonable price tag for its 2024 and 2025 models. The $21,725 price quoted above is for the 2024 model while the starting price for the 2025 model is $22,730.

• Starting price: $22,775

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra is well worth the value as a compact sedan. It has even been noted by Car and Driver as an excellent vehicle to buy if you’re a first-time driver. 

Buyers get to benefit from its inexpensive pricing and the vehicle’s overall fuel efficiency, sleek exterior and roomy interior. 

• Starting price: $23,185

For the best of both worlds including affordable pricing and reliability, we couldn’t not include the 2024 Toyota Corolla on this list. 

The Corolla is a practical purchase for all drivers, whether you have a family or are a working professional. Updated technology within the Corolla also keeps safety at the forefront with features like LED headlights and wireless smartphone integration.

• Starting price: $23,220

At just under $25,000, we handed the sixth spot in this ranking to the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta. The Jetta parked into KBB’s 10th place as one of the year’s cheapest cars and comes with plenty of bang for its buck. 

Some of the biggest perks of the Jetta include its spacious interior, good fuel economy and an IQ.Drive driver-assist suite from Volkswagen to explore. As a bonus for drivers trying to save extra money, Car and Driver said the 2025 model is slightly cheaper to buy than the 2024 model.

Photo disclaimer: Some photos are for illustrative purposes only and might not feature exact models, base models or the car’s specific trim levels. As a result, some of the cars in the photos might have different MSRPs than the ones listed in this article.

Heather Taylor contributed to the reporting for this piece.